How to Collect Garden Sculptures

While the very notion of a garden sculpture may remind you of gnomes and clay frogs, many pieces are much more elegant in their design and execution. Garden sculptures should be aesthetically pleasing and provide a natural counterpoint to flowers and plants in your garden.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Experiment with placement when you collect garden sculptures. You should try to achieve a certain visual flow as you position your sculptures, filling in empty or barren spots without making the whole garden look crowded and cluttered. Avoid having more garden sculptures than flowers and plants.

2. Place your garden sculptures in locations or areas where you can appreciate the art from all sides. Garden sculptures differ from indoor works of art because they are not generally hung on walls or set on high shelves. If your garden sculpture is meant to be viewed from a specific angle, you may want to place it near a fence or against a natural boundary.

3. Collect garden sculptures that will accentuate existing flowers and plants. As with any type of art, it is important to match the piece with the environment, so put more abstract garden sculptures in more streamlined gardens and use classical sculptures and statues to enhance a Victorian rose garden.

4. Remember that your garden sculptures may darken and change in color over time, especially if they are made from metals such as bronze. This may give you the opportunity to allow your garden to evolve as well by choosing different annuals and perennials that will match the new patinas of your garden sculptures.

5. Visit public gardens and parks for additional ideas on what types of garden sculptures you should collect. Visit a variety of gardens, such as English rose gardens or Japanese rock gardens, and carefully note how the sculptures are placed in relation to bushes and flowers.

6. Position a small bench in your garden so that you can sit in one spot and enjoy your garden sculptures. This may seem like a minor detail, but it will help monitor the overall effect of the garden and help you make changes and decisions as your garden grows.

Tips & Warnings

• Bronze garden sculptures should be cleaned every 1 to 2 years. Simply mix 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 tsp. of salt, and then add flour until it turns into a paste. Leave the paste on the bronze sculpture for about an hour and then hose it off with plenty of water.